Army pulls back from Gaza leaving 100 Palestinians dead

The Israeli army last night began withdrawing from Palestinian areas of the northern Gaza strip, winding down the largest assault on the territory in recent years and leaving more than 100 Palestinians dead and widespread destruction of homes.

Palestinians looked on as the 200 tanks and armoured vehicles rolled north, though the Israeli government warned they would return if Hamas rocket attacks resumed.

"We will move in and act whenever we feel there is a threat," said Raanan Gissin, a spokesman for Ariel Sharon, the prime minister.

At least 20 of those killed in the 16-day Israeli operation were under 16.

A 65-year-old woman shot in the head yesterday by an Israeli sniper was believed to be the last victim of Operation Days of Penitence, begun 16 days ago after a Hamas rocket killed two children in the Israeli town of Sderot, close to Gaza. One Israeli soldier was killed in the incursion.

Even after the government announced the operation was ending, troops moved into the town of Beit Hanoun and ordered people from their homes, apparently for fresh demolitions.

About 200 tanks and hundreds of troops began to pull back from Jabaliya refugee camp, Beit Lehia and other residential areas after dusk. Sources in the prime minister's office indicated there might be a total withdrawal, but some forces remained.

The government ended the operation under pressure from the military, which believed it had fulfilled its aim of clearing areas to prevent rocket attacks, and that tanks and troops in Palestinian urban areas were vulnerable.

While Days of Penitence reduced the number of rocket attacks, it did not end them; Hamas continued to fire missiles at Sderot on most days.

But the military did kill dozens of Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters, including several commanders in missile attacks on cars, motorbikes, and a donkey cart.

The operation's principal effect seems to have been to punish hundreds of thousands of Gaza's residents for the attacks, through the widespread destruction of homes and buildings, severe constraints on movement, including cutting off southern Gaza from the north for 10 days, and the sheer terror created by the widespread killings.

Israeli snipers shot dead several children in their homes including two 15-year-old girls from the same school.

A 13-year-old girl was also riddled with bullets close to a military observation post near the Rafah refugee camp.

An officer accused of emptying his automatic rifle magazine into the girl was cleared yesterday of unethical behaviour, but suspended anyway on account of poor relations with his subordinates.

Many of his platoon accused him of the deed.

Military officials said the withdrawal was approved "to ease the burden on the Palestinian civilian population" during the holy month of Ramadan which began yesterday.